ST. LOUIS (AP) — Paul Stastny is feeling right at home with his new team.
A native of St. Louis, Stastny has four points in his first two games with his hometown team after picking up three assists in the St. Louis Blues’ 4-1 win over the Calgary Flames on Saturday night.
Stastny, who signed as a free agent in the offseason, had a goal in his debut with the Blues in Thursday night’s 3-2 loss to the New York Rangers. He liked Saturday’s result much better.
“I think we just got more comfortable out there,” Stastny said. “The first game we were kind of getting the jitters out of the way. I think we just kept it a little more simple, and kind of created chances through turnovers.”
Joakim Lindstrom and David Backes scored in the first period and Brian Elliott stopped 23 shots for St. Louis.
Alex Pietrangelo and Vladimir Tarasenko also scored for the Blues, and Kevin Shattenkirk also had three assists to help St. Louis improve to 7-1-1 in its last nine games against Calgary.
Blues coach Ken Hitchcock was pleased with the effort.
“We managed the puck well,” Hitchcock said. “We really did a lot of things. We played on our toes. I thought we did a whale of a job.”
Curtis Glencross ended Elliott’s shutout bid with a power-play goal with 4:13 left.
“I think we executed for the most part the whole game,” Elliott said. “It’s fun watching those guys working hard for you in front of you.”
Mark Giordano picked up an assist on Glencross’ goal for his 200th NHL point, and Jonas Hiller finished with 35 saves for the Flames, who have lost five straight at St. Louis.
“We knew they were going to come out hard tonight,” Glencross said.” We didn’t bring our game tonight. We got outworked. You know when you come into play a big, strong team like this, you’re in for a battle.”
Two nights after coming out flat in its season-opening loss to the Rangers, St. Louis got off to a fast start against Calgary.
Just 48 seconds in, Stastny got the puck down low on the right side and slid it across the ice to Lindstrom, who tapped it in for his first goal with the Blues and his first goal in the NHL since Oct. 13, 2011.
The Flames never recovered.
“It’s tough to start off the game with a 3-on-1,” Hiller said. “It’s a tough building getting score on early and they have a really good team that plays really solid and don’t give you too much. You have to open up and that’s what they drive off, those counter attacks.”
The Blues made it 2-0 with a power-play goal at 8:44 of the first period when Backes deflected Shattenkirk’s shot from the point.
Another shot from the point by Shattenkirk led to another power-play goal early in the second period. His shot from the left point missed the mark, but the puck came off the boards to Pietrangelo crashing down the right side and he put it home.
Tarasenko scored off a centering pass from Jaden Schwartz at 7:10 of the second period to make it 4-0.
Stastny now has 49 points in 41 career games against Calgary.
“When you play a team that many times, you’re going to get points against them,” Stastny said. “My first couple of years, I played them eight times a year. “
NOTES: Flames RWs Jiri Hudler and David Jones missed the game. Hudler was scratched after falling sick on Friday night and Jones has a lower-body injury. … Stastny’s last three-point game was against the Blues on April 5 while he was with Colorado. … The victory snapped a losing streak of seven straight regular season games for the Blues dating back last season.
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